ed at the army camp. They were greeted by a fat republican official with a obsequious smile always on his face.
"Hahaha, Citizen Representative- on-mission, you''ve had a hard journey!" The official flattered and followed Andre closely. "I''ve prepared a sumptuous feast to welcome you all and wash away the dust!"
Edith and the others were led into a spacious and brightly lit dining room. The glitzy candles made the room ablaze with light, and the long table was filled with vintage wine and dainty dishes, some of which Edith couldn''t even name. This weighed heavily on her and she cast an uneasy glance at Andre at her side.
Andre remained expressionless, entirely ignoring the official''s greetings, and led Edith and Philippe straight to the table. He scanned the food in front, focusing his cold gaze on the official across from him, but did not pick up his utensils.
The official felt the oppressive atmosphere at the table and tried to liven things up, pretending nothing was wrong. He raised his champagne glass first, squeezing out an exaggerated ingratiating smile, and said to everyone in a casual way, "Cheers to the unified and indivisible Republic!"
"Unified and indivisible Republic?" Andre stood up suddenly, his voice stern. "It''s exactly worms like you who have been eating away at our motherland, tearing her apart!"
He reached out and grabbed the fat officer by his collar of a piece of silk and flung it up and down, no warmth in his tone: "What''s this you''re wearing here, eh?"
The official turned pale, as if there was a gun pointed at his forehead, and dared not move.
Perhaps reminiscing the peasant family under the gun of Old Dupierre, Andre''s voice took on a tone of tragedy. "What exactly are we fighting for? Is it for equality that we shout, only to replace those in power with ourselves throughout! Yes, you may also repeat that privilege is a crime, but why? Because the person sitting on the throne is not yourself!Why should the people support the revolution, if it only means replacing one set of masters with another?"
His words were because of the silk-clad official who stood before him, yet not directed at him.
"Take these foods down and distribute them all to the soldi